Lock.



E. ADRIAN.

LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. m4.

PatentedNov. 14, 1916.

sauna ADRIAN" or sr. LOUIS, mssoum.

' max.

Ann- Speciflcatm of Letters Patent.

- Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application filed November 28, 1914. Serial No. 874,588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER ADRIAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to locks and more particularly to that typeapplicable to steering shafts of automo iles. M;

The primary object of my invention resides in the provision of a novel'means permanently associated with a steering rod or shaft of anautomobile for engagement with the rod for preventing the rotation ofthe rod, thus preventing the control of the vehicle, the locking lneanshaving novel means associated therewith for normally holding the same inengagement with the rod.

Another object of. my invention resides in the provision of a noveloperating means for the locking means, the operating means beingactuatable by a suitable key, the latter placing the operating element1n an operative position when'engaged therewith.

A further object of lay invention reside in the provision of a novellyconstructs base plate having one of the sections of the lock body formedintegral therewith the sections being provided with complemental meansfor facilitating the reception and mounting of the locking and operatingmeans.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of adevice of the character described that is simple in construction,eflicient in operation and one that can be manufactured and placed onthe marhot at a minimum cost. f

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scopeof my invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation-a1 view of my inventionshowing one of the sections removed; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalview of my invention taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view of my invention taken on the line 3-3 ofFig.1: Fig. l is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the upperpart of Fig. 2 showing to advantagethe specific construction of theoperating element and the means therein for preventing the same frombeing actuated preparatory to the insertion of the key; and Fi '5 is aperspective view of the form of ey used for operating my invention. 1

Re erring more particularly to the drawings in which similar referencenumerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the differentviews, I provide a steering rod 1 for an automobile or other vehicle,the rod having received thereabout my improved base plate 2. The plate 2is arranged so that the rod extends at an acute angle therefrom suitablefor actuating purposes for the vehicle, the plate being providedadjacent its corners with a plurality of openings 3 for receivingsuitable fastening devices, not shown, for facilitating the securing ofthe plate to the dashboard of the vehicle.

Formed integral with and extending at substantially right angles fromthe plate 2 is one of the sections 4 of the body of my improved lock,the latter being provided with suitable openings 5 for the reception ofsuitable screws or like fastening devices 6,

which screws are engaged in registering openings 7 in the other of thesections of the lock body, the latter having its outer edges arranged inalinement with the outer edges of the section 4. Both of the sections;

4 and 8 are depressed on their inner surfaces about the steering rod 8to provide arcuate groovesfi which, when the sections are secured in themanner described, constitute an opening for guiding and supporting therod 1. Communicating with the grooves 9 on the inner surfaces of thegrooves 4 and 8 are vertically extending and complemental recesses 10,the latter terminating at a point adjacent the upper edges of thesections and have their side edges arranged in parallel relation withthe side edges f the Section as is clearly illustrated to advantage inFig. 1 of the accompanying drawin Extending from the outer side edges 0the recesses 10 into the sections 4 and 8 of the lock body arecomplemental recesses 11 for a PUXPOSO to be hereinafter referred to.Slidably mounted in the complemental recesses 10 i; my improved lockingplate or bolt 12, the lower edge of which is cut diagonally and beveledas at 13 so that this end may readily and easily engage one of thelongitudinally lockin arranged slots 14 in the steerin rod for urposeswhen desired. 'Ihe upper end 0 t e plate 12 is provided with asubstantially oval sha ed opening 15 for a purpose to be hereina terreferred to.

In order to normally hold the plate 12 in looking engagement with one ofthe slots 14 in the steering rod 1, I have positioned a suitablefastening device, preferably a screw stud 16 in the complementalrecesses 11 with the sections 4 and 8 and secured the rounded end of theelement in the section 4:. Disposed about the stud 16 is a suitableelastlc element'l'? which in this instance includes a piece of resilientwire comprising a coil for engagement with the stud, the 0011 havingarms extending therefrom and arranged at right angles to each other, thearms being engageable with the locking plate 12 and the section 4: ofthe body, respectively. By this arrangement it can be seen that becauseof the resiliency of the material from which the element is formed thatthe plate 12 will at all times be held in yieldable engagement with therod 1 and will prevent the surreptitious rotating of the rod.

In order to remove the plate 12 from engagement with the. rod 1, I haveprovided the section 4 adjacent the upper end thereof withv an opening18, the opening having a collar 19 formed thereabout and integral withthe under surface of the section 4. Rotatably mounted in the opening 18is my improved operating element 20, the latter being substantiallycircular in form and has the inner end thereof reduced and journaled inthe recess 21 in the section 8 at a point opposite the opening 18.Formed integral with the element 20 adjacent the reduced end thereof isa suitable cam 22, the latter being substantially flat and of athickness slightly less than the width of the complemental recesses 10when the latter are in registration, the cam being also positionedwithin the substantially oval-shaped opening 15 in the plate and it canbe seen that w on the element 20 is rotated the cam will engage theupper end of the opening and lift the plate against the tension of theelastic element 17 from the slot 14 in the rod, thus permitting the rod1 to be rotated at the will of the operator. In order to rotate theoperating element, I have hifurcated the outer end thereof so that thesame may receive the elongated flattened shank 23 of a suitable key 24.Suitable means have been provided for preventing surreptitious' rotationof the operating element 20 and it constitutes in this instance a pairof tumblers 25 which are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends indiametrically arranged slots 26 in the bifurcations, the tumblers 25being normally held in the path of the shank of the key 23 by means of asuitable elastic element preferably: a subsraw tially U-shaped spring27, thedatter being rigidly mounted at the inner end of the bifurcation.The outer ends of the tumblers 25 are positioned normally within thediametrically arranged recesses 28 provided in the opening and thecollar, the recesses 28 being arranged to aline withthe slots 26. It canbe seen that when the key is inserted in engagement with the inner endsof the tumblers it causes the outer ends of the tumblers to beautomatically removed from the recesses 28 and permits of the rotationof the element 20 consequently allowing the plate 12 to be raised fromthe slots 11.

The operation of my invention is a follows: When it is desirdd toactuate the steer-. ing rod 1 of a vehicle and assumin that the lock isin the position shown in i 1, all that is necessary is to insert theshan 23 of the key 24 between the bifurcations and the operating elementor spindle 20, where upon the inner end of the key will engage the innerends of the pins, causing the same to be automatically removed from therecesses 28 which permits the free rotation of the element 20. When theelement 20 is rotated throu h the medium of the outer end of the key, te cam 22 will engage the upper edge of the oval shaped opening 15 andcause the locking plate 12 to be removed from the slot 14 in the rod 1and against the tension of the elastic element 17. In relocking the rodall that is necessary is to turn the key whereupon the elastic element'17 will cause the plate 12 to engage the desired slot in the rod andwhen the key is removed the tumblers 25 will automatically assume theirnormal positions within the recesses 28, care being taken during thisoperation that the slots 26 are arranged in alinement with the recesses28.

Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I desire it to be understood that I am not to be limited tothe exact details shown; however, I desire that great stress be laidupon the arrangement of the peculiarly formed locking plate that can beassociated with the rod of an automobile so that the wheels may beturned to either the right or left .or arranged in a straight path,thelocking late having novel means associated therewlt for facilitating theremoval of the same against the tension of the resilient means-whichnormally holds the same in a locked position.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it can easily be seen that I have provided a device that issimple in construction, containing but a few simple parts that can becheaply nnlnufactur d and assembled and when assembled can be placedupon the market at a minimum cost.

It will be understood that the above descripti on and accompanyingdrawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of myinvention and that various minor ehange s in detail of eoustruetion.proportion and :n'rangement ot the parts may he made within the seope ofthe appended elaims and without eaeritieing any of the :ulrantagea of myinvention.

llavin; thus t'ully tlesel'ilit'd m invention. what I elaim as new anddesire to se enre by Letters latent. is:

l. The t'tHlllllIltltlUll with a steering: rod oi" a vehiele. having. aplurality ol'slots therein, and a dash-hoard. of a hare plate disposedahout the steering rod and seenred to the dash-hoard. a seetional lot-kliody clamped about the rod and having one Htt'tltlll integral with theha e plate. a loel ing' plate slidahl mounted hetween the see tions ofthe loeh hod t'or remorahle engage ment with the slots in the rod.resilient means for holding the lot-king plate in engagement with one ofthe slots in the rod. a spindle rotatahly mounted in the hod) andassoeiatetl with the lot-king: plate Ht? as to impart a. slidingmovement to the plate against the tension of the resilient means.loeking: means mounted in the spindle for engagement with the lnth hod)for prerent in; rotation of the spindle. other resilient means fornormally holding the locking means and the spindle in engagement withthe lltltl and a key engageahle with the -o(l for releasing the lot-kingmeans and for rotating the spindle to consequently slide the lot-kingplate and release the rod.

L. The eomhination with the steering rod of a rehiele having! a pluralitof slots therein and a dashhoard. ot' a base, plate disposed iltHlllt'the steering: rod and secured to the LlzthltlNltH'tl. a loek l)1)(lincluding two sections disposed ahont the rod and one of whieh is tormedintegral with the plate, said heetiona heing provided with eomplementarreg'isterin; reeesses on their inner tat-es. a plate nlttlill lt.mounted in said revenues to! engagement ith one of the slots in the rodtor preventing the rotation of the rod. said phne hein; prowided with aanhstantiallr oral-shaped opening. a spring: meinl er mounted l'etueenthe tt'tliflliw and in engagement with the ptate to! nornrd y holdingthe plate in engagement with one ol the reeeesee. an aetnatinfl spindlerotatal tx mounted in one of aid eetions and having: the inner endredneed and extended through the opening into the other of the sections.a eam mounted on the redueed end and dis-- posed in the opening: torraising the plate when the spindl is rotated. means for prerentingrotation of the pindle and means for rotating: the hpindle.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in lJttHtllt'Q of twowitneases.

lliilll llt ADRIAN. 'itnesees:

ll. Yoxmc. .hs, ll. Bnown'.

